Alex Johnson keen to make up for lost time after making successful comeback in win over Collingwood
SYDNEY defender Alex Johnson wants more than a fairytale return after a successful transition back into AFL football on Saturday night. He’s got five and a half years to make up for and there’s no time like the present.
Sydney
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ALEX Johnson wants more than the fairytale return he celebrated on Saturday night.
He’s making up for lost time. Lots of it, five-and-a-half years of it.
For such a long spell out of the game, his return was seamless and helped in part by Dane Rampe, the man who took his spot in the team after he ruptured his ACL for the first time in February 2013.
Rampe played 133 games in Johnson’s absence and until Saturday night had never played alongside Johnson.
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In nice piece of symmetry it was Rampe who provided Johnson his first touch of the footy at the top level in 2136 days.
“Once I got my first kick I was away,” Johnson told The Daily Telegraph.
“It was appropriate it was ‘Ramps’ who gave me my first possession, he took my position after all. I remind him of that every now and then.
“Ramps has been an unbelievable player, he came in 2013 and I did a pre-season with him and saw what he was able to offer.”
Johnson put an exclamation mark on his comeback with 16 possessions and 11 marks in a seamless performance. His return is a massive bonus for Sydney who now has a 26-year-old key defender who has performed at the highest level and played in a premiership.
In 2013, he looked like being a 200-game player, the double century looks out of reach but another 100 is achievable.
“I was never going to come back and play just one game,” Johnson said.
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“This is the second part of my career I want to start. I’m really excited for what the future holds.”
Johnson has had the football equivalent of a near-death experience with a significant difference.
“It doesn’t feel like a second chance it’s more like my sixth,” Johnson said.
“I’ve done the hard yards over the last five and a half years to get back here and I’m rapt to be back playing AFL.”
The defender paid tribute to Sydney’s medical and conditioning staff who played a vital role in his rehab. After five reconstructions and 12 surgeries on his knee, Johnson didn’t run for more than two and a half years which added another enormous hurdle to his comeback.
When he started training and playing again his body struggled with the workloads and needed even more surgery.
“I needed a clean-up with my groins because they were heavily loaded,” Johnson said.
“I wouldn’t have been able to get back here without the fitness staff, they’ve been unbelievable.”
The win over Collingwood has reignited the Swans’ season, which looked like it was dead and buried with the loss to Essendon making it four losses from their past five games.
They face Melbourne at the MCG next Sunday, followed by the Greater Western Sydney and then Hawthorn in the last home and away match.
Ben Ronke is expected to be fit to play after suffering a migraine during the win over the Magpies.
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